Lot Essay
This form is known as a qiaotouan, or 'everted end recessed-leg table,' although the late Ming style-maker Wen Zhenheng termed it bizhuo, or 'wall table,' as it was commonly used against a wall to display works of art or to hold offerings. It is one of the more popular forms found in classical Chinese furniture, and several examples exist in public and private collections.
See several other qiaotouan, including one illustrated by G. Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Tokyo, 1962, p. 82, pl. 63; two in the Lu Ming Shi Collection, illustrated by G.W. Bruce in Living with Ming, Hong Kong, 2000, nos. 34-5, dated late 16th-early 17th century; and another dated to the late 16th-early 17th century from the collection of Dr. S.Y. Yip, illustrated by G.W. Bruce in Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance With Huanghuali Wood, Hong Kong, 1991, p. 75, no. 25. See, also, the 17th century huanghuali example from the collection of Gangolf Geis, sold in these rooms, 18 September 2003, lot 52.
See several other qiaotouan, including one illustrated by G. Ecke, Chinese Domestic Furniture, Tokyo, 1962, p. 82, pl. 63; two in the Lu Ming Shi Collection, illustrated by G.W. Bruce in Living with Ming, Hong Kong, 2000, nos. 34-5, dated late 16th-early 17th century; and another dated to the late 16th-early 17th century from the collection of Dr. S.Y. Yip, illustrated by G.W. Bruce in Dreams of Chu Tan Chamber and the Romance With Huanghuali Wood, Hong Kong, 1991, p. 75, no. 25. See, also, the 17th century huanghuali example from the collection of Gangolf Geis, sold in these rooms, 18 September 2003, lot 52.